IAG invests in wearable robotics startup Verve Motion

International Airlines Group is investing in wearable robotics company Verve Motion to trial aviation-specific exosuits for baggage handlers, aiming to improve worker safety, operational resilience and ground handling efficiency.

Summary:

IAG invests in wearable robotics startup Verve Motion through IAGi Ventures to explore exosuits for baggage handlers and ground operations.
New aviation-specific exosuit trial aims to improve worker safety, reduce physical strain and enhance operational efficiency across baggage and cargo handling.
Partnership reflects IAG’s innovation strategy to accelerate emerging technologies that strengthen operational resilience and employee wellbeing.

International Airlines Group (IAG) – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and a Partner of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group – has announced a strategic investment in Verve Motion, a wearable robotics company developing exosuits that help workers performing repetitive lifting tasks. The investment, made through IAGi Ventures, reflects IAG’s continued focus on innovation to strengthen operational resilience, enhancing safety and productivity across aviation operations.

IAGi Ventures was joined in the funding round by new and existing investors, including HexArmor, a global leader in personal protective equipment. Verve Motion has now raised more than $55 million to accelerate the development and deployment of its technology. Founded in 2020 by Spanish entrepreneur Ignacio Galiana and built on research originating at Harvard University, Verve Motion develops lightweight exosuits that reduce physical strain during manual handling tasks. The company’s technology is already being used across logistics and industrial environments to improve worker comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

As part of the partnership, IAG will work with Verve Motion to trial a new exosuit designed specifically for aviation, initially focusing on shoulder support for baggage handlers. The pilot will explore how wearable robotics can make repetitive lifting tasks easier and help improve performance across ground and cargo operations.

“Verve Motion is exactly the kind of company we want to back through IAGi Ventures – a business applying innovative technology to solve real operational challenges,” said Nacho Tovar, Group Innovation Director, IAG. “Led by an outstanding Spanish entrepreneur, the team has developed a compelling solution with clear potential for aviation. This partnership gives us the opportunity to test and shape the technology in a live operating environment, helping us understand how it could improve the day-to-day experience of colleagues carrying out physically demanding work while also supporting more efficient operations. Through IAGi Ventures, we invest in startups tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges. Alongside funding, we can offer access to the scale, expertise and operational environments needed to help promising technologies prove and accelerate their impact.”

This investment aligns with IAG’s broader approach to backing promising technologies that can deliver practical benefits across the Group’s operating companies. By working with innovative partners such as Verve Motion, IAG aims to better understand how emerging solutions can be adapted to the specific needs of the aviation sector and create safer, more efficient working environments.

“Baggage handlers perform some of the most physically demanding work in any industry, and IAG’s leadership and commitment to their wellbeing and safety is exactly why this partnership is so important,” said Ignacio Galiana, CEO and Co-founder, Verve Motion. “As a global aviation leader, IAG brings a unique understanding of ground and cargo operations that will help us scale our technology to the people who need it most. We believe wearable robotics will define the next generation of worker protection and be as common as traditional PPE is today.”